Staying Fit
The Staying Fit badge is part of the “It's Your World - Change It!” badge set introduced in 2011. It replaces the retired Fun and Fit, Highway to Health, and Stress Less badges. When a Girl Scout Junior has earned this badge, she will know what she needs to get strong and stay that way. Step 1: Start moving! Try 30 minutes of aerobic activity three times each week. Grab your jump rope and friends, go for a jog, have a hula hoop contest, ride your bike or put on your favorite music and get dancing. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and try something new. You can also ask local gyms or community centers if they have a class you can attend. Many gyms will let you try one class for free! Step 2: Keep your fit body fueled Brainstorm a list of healthy foods and what benefits they provide your body. Usechoosemyplate.gov as a resource. Head to your local grocery store and have an alphabet challenge. Find a healthy food option for each letter of the alphabet and write it down. Many local grocery stores, like Schnucks and Dierbergs, will happily give Girl Scout troops a tour of the store and provide some helpful tips about snacks and foods that are good for the body. Step 3: Know how to stress less Sometimes just writing down your emotions can help you feel better. For one week, write down or draw how you feel each day. Take a week off, and then record your feelings for another week. What differences did you have? Did you feel different during the week you didn’t record? How have your entries changed? Add some creativity to this activity to help relieve stress. Using a spiral notebook, add stickers, cut-outs from magazines, colored pencils and markers to decorate the front and back covers. Tie ribbon to the spiral binding for an extra touch of fun. Step 4: Get the truth about health Contact a health professional, like a pediatrician, school nurse or pharmacist, and invite them to speak with your troop. Don’t forget to prepare questions to ask, including health tips for girls your age. Judith Green, MD Dr. Judith Green is a pediatrician at Pediatric Healthcare of Long Island in New York. She received her MD degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She completed the Pediatric residency program at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. During her training at Montefiore, Dr. Green participated in quality improvement, medical student education, and a research project regarding the vaccine status of hospitalized infants and toddlers. Dr. Green has a special interest in child development and plans to continue her commitment to quality improvement by participating in the development and implementation of the Patient Centered Medical Home initiative at PHLI. Hudi grew up in Lawrence and has been a patient at PHLI since she was born. After leaving Long Island for her training, she is very excited to return and to be joining her father at PHLI. She enjoys reading historical fiction, traveling and eating her favorite food, potatoes. Step 5: Help your family stay fit Get your family involved! Find something that everyone can do together, and then go do it! It can be anything from riding bikes, going on a hike, swimming, jumping rope and more. If it’s a rainy day and chores need to be done, make a fun challenge out of it.Category:Girl Scouts of the USA Category:Girl Scout Badge Category:Juniors